Kraft: ‘We have never had a deal with Mankins’

By

Monique Walker

September 13, 2010

Patriots owner Robert Kraft went on the Dale & Holley Show on WEEI this morning and disputed ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s report that a potential deal two weeks ago with Logan Mankins fell apart after the guard refused to make a public apology for his June comments.

“There is a misconception that we had a deal with Logan Mankins,” Kraft said. “We have never had a deal with Logan Mankins.

Kraft said that Mankins did apologize to him for the comments he made in June about the organization. Kraft said he “accepted his apology.”

“I hate violating a private conversation but I think it’s worthy because it speaks to this issue. I got a call three weeks ago, maybe, from Logan and he apologized to me for the comments he made in the public media. He said he regretted he did it. He knew in retrospect they weren’t true and I accepted his apology because he’s a very high quality guy.

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“I also said, ‘Logan it would be nice if that was made public because I’m hoping we do a deal with you and I don’t want people to think that the way you do a deal is to say something that is not true or involve ownership.'”

Kraft went on to say that ownership of the New England Patriots don’t get involved with contract negotiations. “We bless them,” he said, but they don’t get involved.

Schefter’s report stated that multiple sources confirmed that the deal was close and that 90 minutes after Mankins apologized to Kraft he was asked to make a public apology. Mankins refused, according to Schefter’s report.

That is “a bold-faced fib,” Kraft said.

Kraft went on to talk about Randy Moss’s comments after yesterday’s game.

“I feel I have a good relationship with Randy,” Kraft said. “I think that’s basically what he said. I think we’re glad to have him part of this team. I consider him a very intelligent young man and I”m happy he’s with us.”